5 female teachers killed in ambush in Pakistan

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Gunmen in northwest Pakistan killed five teachers and two aid workers from a non-governmental organization Tuesday as they were driving home from work, the Associated Press is reporting.

The group’s director said they may have been targeted for their anti-polio work.

According to the report, militants in the past have accused health workers of acting as spies for the U.S., alleging the vaccine is intended to make Muslim children sterile.

Last month, nine people working on an anti-polio vaccination campaign were shot and killed. Four of those shootings were in the northwest where Tuesday’s attack took place.

The attack was another reminder of the risks to women educators and aid workers from Islamic militants who oppose their work. It was in the same conservative province where militants shot and seriously wounded 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai, an outspoken young activist for girls’ education, in October.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest shootings.